The Kerala government is all set to launch its own over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform to supplement the income of independent low-budget filmmakers and to stream films that fail to find a release.
According to the Kerala Film Chamber Of Commerce, the apex body of the Malayalam film industry, 209 films were censored in 2021 — a year that saw complete lockdowns and restrictions on film shooting.
Trade sources said only 61 films managed a theatrical release in 2021 — most of them made it to OTTs — while more than 90 films have not been able to find an interested OTT player.
The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) has shortlisted four bidders for the platform, from a list of eight, after the technical presentation. The state government has budgeted Rs 5 crore for the initiative, which will be a vendor-hosted platform in the initial phase.
Established in 1975 to facilitate production and promotion of Malayalam cinema, KSFDC also owns 17 screens in the state and is on its way to acquiring seven more.
Maya N, managing director of KSFDC, told FE the idea is not to compete with theatres, but to supplement the income after theatrical release.
“We plan to stream films after theatre release and films that fail to find theatrical release. Small films are not picked by the big OTT players, who look for star value,” she said.
She said the idea is to expand the reach of Malayalam films and help the industry.
“Then there are globally acclaimed art-house films and old Malayalam films that the young generation has not seen. We are talking to producers to digitise the films and share them on our platform,” she said.
The platform will also screen award-winning films not released in theatres. Maya said KSFDC has no plans to purchase the films for the platform, but will share the revenue with producers.
The non-exclusive revenue sharing model is good for both producers and the streaming platform, Jerit Venugopal, content head of regional OTT platform Cave Stream, said. Close to 100 films that were made during the pandemic have been unable to find theatrical release or to be sold to established big OTT players, he said. Cave Stream offers pay-per-view for Rs 45-99 for unlimited viewing for 15 days on three devices. The annual subscription for the platform comes to Rs 1,499 per year or Rs 169 per month.
The Malayalam film industry has been at the forefront of innovative experiments, including simultaneous release of small-budget movies across multiple OTT platforms, for wider reach and to curb piracy. There are eight to 11 small players in the Malayalam OTT sector, including some operated from West Asia.
